In the post-pandemic corporate world, the hybrid model is king. Though some employers appear keen to draw their workforce back into the office, many potential employees now expect flexible working as a standard work benefit. Indeed, one report suggests nearly 98% of workers would like to work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their career.
The question for businesses is how to ensure they have the correct set up and cultures to support a successful hybrid working model.
Although hybrid working is sometimes viewed as employees simply taking their laptops home, the model comes with countless new considerations and practices that must be introduced to ensure it helps – rather than hinders – both employees’ and businesses’ performance.
Cyber security – training and policies
Increased time spent using devices remotely can lead to heightened cybersecurity risks. One significant risk that business leaders should not overlook is how employees working remotely handle data. For instance, whilst working in a public setting, employees might accidentally have sensitive or confidential information on their screens for members of the public to discover – as a Cabinet Minister recently discovered, in an embarrassing gaffe.
Similarly, in the context of remote working, employees are more susceptible to phishing scams, which may take the form of requests from colleagues or customers for passwords, file access or other sensitive data.
Robust data security arrangements are, of course, a legal obligation; dedicated time to training employees should inform your organisation’s priorities. Understanding your sector’s requirements in this regard shapes how you pursue this goal. For example, statutory requirements for education organisations may differ to those for hospitality businesses.
Sector bodies, business networks and even technology solution providers run webinar sessions and even accredited cybersecurity training sessions tailored to your organisation’s needs and sector-specific concerns.
The rewards of doing so are manifold; not only will this reduce the risks of harm to your company, customers and colleagues, but some business insurance firms will even offer enhanced benefits to policyholders who take these steps with security in mind.
Effective remote IT support and access
Hybrid working can often mean employees will need to access servers or devices remotely in order to collaborate effectively or provide support to their colleagues by taking control of their device.
Secure remote access is therefore extremely helpful, particularly for troubleshooting when IT issues arise; technicians can take control of devices remotely, facilitating faster diagnoses and quick resolutions for problems.
Remote working means that if an employee’s device stops working, outages and device issues can be truly debilitating. Reducing the amount of time lost to such outages is therefore critical, both for balancing employees’ workloads and for optimising efficiency across the organisation.
Informed efficiency
A hybrid working model relies on efficient and smooth-running infrastructures and networks. This is a constant challenge that all hybrid employees must face, working continuously to improve efficiencies and allow employees to continue to work together no matter where they are.
Constantly auditing and keeping track of the status of your devices and network, particularly for larger companies, can be a mammoth task. An IT Asset Management solution can automate this process by monitoring device locations, usage and life cycles, as well as measuring what solutions or processes work well or could be improved.
For example, these solutions can collect data on inventory, applications, user behaviours, and even energy usage. From this informed perspective, companies can set out on a path to improvement and efficiencies by introducing policies that help maximise their investment and ensure infrastructure remains fit for purpose and meets all employees’ needs.
Supporting employees to work efficiently and easily, regardless of their location, means building an IT infrastructure that flexes to your organisation’s needs and supports them when issues arise. Security and the safety of data – whether that of customers, colleagues or the company more generally – will need to be considered in a new way to ensure that new threats are being mitigated.
Placing your employees’ needs at the core of hybrid working policies and infrastructure is critical in ensuring the hybrid model will work for everyone, while also future-proofing your business.
- Digital Strategy
- People & Culture
